(Photo: MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/GettyImages)

In today’s top news, President Obama is expected to announce the return of 34,000 troops from Afghanistan in tonight’s State of the Union address; Rep. Keith Ellison called the GOP’s makeover efforts “putting lipstick on a pig”; and some Black L.A. residents are on guard as the manhunt for Chris Dorner continues.

President Obama is expected to announce the return of 34,000 troops from Afghanistan in tonight’s State of the Union address. [CNN]

Rep. Keith Ellison compared the GOP’s makeover efforts to “putting lipstick on a pig.” [BET]

Some Black, male residents of Los Angeles are wearing”don’t shoot” T-shirts after the manhunt for former cop Chris Dorner led to fatal cases of mistaken identity. [Newsone]

A 10-year-old was killed and two adults were injured when a Minnesota gunman opened fire in what authorities believe to be a “random shooting.” [Reuters]

Food stamp benefit amounts may be decreased soon if Congress doesn’t act. [NBCNews]

A Michigan attorney is running a free divorce sweepstakes for Valentine’s Day. [GMA]

In the wake of the pope’s resignation announcement, two African cardinals may be considered for the post. [BET]

Rapper Lil Mama will play the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in a new biopic. [BET]

Mali is hesitant about allowing U.N. peacekeepers on its soil. [BBC]

South Africa seeks justice for the teenage rape victim who was found dead last week. [Reuters]

In today’s top news, Claressa Shields wins the first ever gold for U.S. women’s Olympic boxing, Usain Bolt adds to his Olympic legend with a historic gold win in the 200m race and three U.S. troops are killed by a man in an Afghanistan military uniform.

Claressa Shields wins the first ever gold for U.S. women’s Olympic boxing. [ESPN]

Usain Bolt adds to his Olympic legend with a historic gold win in the 200m race. [AP]

Three U.S. troops are killed by a man in an Afghanistan military uniform. [CNN]

Gabby Douglas is eagerly recruited by Spelman College. [TMZ]

Kenya aims to become the first African nation to host the Olympics. [CNN]

In today’s top news, President Obama announces an “enduring partnership” between the U.S. and Afghanistan and Tyler Perry’s production studios in Atlanta catch fire.

President Obama announces an “enduring partnership” between the U.S. and Afghanistan. [BET]

Tyler Perry’s production studios in Atlanta catch fire. [CNN]

George Zimmerman’s latest Myspace page is uncovered and reveals disparaging comments about Mexicans. [Miami Herald]

Samuel L. Jackson talks to BET.com about his latest role in Django Unchained. [BET]

Nicki Minaj announces U.S. tour dates. [BET]

African-Americans are taking on the scourge of sex trafficking in Black communities. [UPI]

At least 11 protesters in Cairo, Egypt were killed by an unknown assailant. [BBC]

Women in Ghana are being trained as pilots and health care workers to deliver health materials to isolated communities. [RFI]

In today’s top news, three Texas white supremacists are found guilty of hate crimes for assaulting a Black man, photos surfaced showing U.S. troops posing next to mangled body parts of Afghan corpses and the first lady speaks out on the death of Trayvon Martin.

Three Texas white supremacists are found guilty of hate crimes for assaulting a Black man. [BET]

U.S. troops posed smiling next to mangled body parts of Afghan corpses. [L.A. Times]

The first lady speaks out on the death of Trayvon Martin. [AP]

Michelle Obama shows off her prom picture. [BET]

Witness at Senate hearing says “End Racial Profiling Act” offends police. [BET]

Thousands housed in trailers after Hurricane Katrina may receive payments. [Reuters]

Fans are suing reality show The Bachelor for its failure to cast people of color. [NYDN]

Diddy, Jay-Z top Forbes’s list of the five wealthiest hip hop artists. [Forbes]

An abducted Texas newborn is found alive and safe after woman kills his mother. [MSNBC]

Gulf seafood deformities post-BP oil spill baffle scientists. [AJE]

Mali picks Microsoft official as interim prime minister. [AJE]

In today’s top news, the federal government has decided to launch an investigation into the death of Trayvon Martin, new, negative details emerge about Robert Bales, the staff sergeant accused of massacring Afghan civilians, and Beyoncé is planning her first post-baby concert in Atlantic City.

The federal government has decided to launch an investigation into the death of Trayvon Martin. [BET]

New, negative details emerge about Robert Bales, the staff sergeant accused of massacring Afghan civilians. [ABC]

Beyoncé is planning for her first post-baby concert in Atlantic City. [BET]

Jaleel White to join Dancing With the Stars. [BET]

Nicki Minaj to become the face of a new Pepsi beverage. [Forbes]

Study shows “meth babies” have similar behavior to “crack babies.” [AP]

Black Chicago fire recruits from 1995 finally join the department. [Sun-Times]

Rick Santorum tells a crowd the unemployment rate “doesn’t matter” to him. [NBC]

Report: States do a poor job of guarding against corruption. [CNN]

Senegalese superstar Youssou Ndour launches his presidential campaign. [AFP]

It’s no secret. Michael Steele says the darnedest things.

It’s not the first, nor is it the second or third time the Republican National Committee Chairman has said something completely outrageous or untoward.

He’s outraged Democrats with his comments as he has Republicans.

But this time his remarks at a GOP fundraiser about the war in Afghanistan are angering some Republicans to the point that two prominent conservative columnists – William Kristol, founder of the Weekly Standard,  and grassroots blogger-activist Erick Erickson –  are calling for his resignation

Steele said America’s war effort  in Afghanistan is doomed.

“Keep in mind again, for our federal candidates, this was a war of Obama’s choosing,” Steele incorrectly mouthed, yet with conviction. “This is not something the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in. It was the president who was trying to be cute by half by flipping a script demonizing Iraq, while saying the battle really should be in Afghanistan. ”

“Well, if he’s such a student of history, has he not understood that, you know, that’s the one thing you don’t do, is engage in a land war in Afghanistan?,” he went on. “All right, because everyone who has tried, over a thousand years of history, has failed. And there are reasons for that. There are other ways to engage in Afghanistan.”

Steele’s words forced Kristol to defend Obama.

“Needless to say, the war in Afghanistan was not ‘a war of Obama’s choosing.’ It has been prosecuted by the United States under Presidents Bush and Obama. Republicans have consistently supported the effort, he wrote. There are, of course, those who think we should pull out of Afghanistan, and they’re certainly entitled to make their case. But one of them shouldn’t be the chairman of the Republican Party.”

Erickson, who blogs at Redstate.com went a little further.

“The war in Afghanistan is not a war of Barack Obama’s choosing. It is a war of Al Qaeda and the Taliban’s choosing,” he wrote. “We responded. Michael Steele must resign. He has lost all moral authority to lead the GOP.”

Steele doesn’t even have his facts straight.

Should he be forced to resign?